Who We Are, Why Now, Why Listen?

Welcome to Melodramatic: a display of femininity through a creative collection of thoughts. Though established officially in 2023, Melodramatic has been brewing for years. Devyn and I have been expressing ourselves through creativity together since we met. One of the first things we did together was create a playlist to define our friendship: just a few songs full of trademark angsty lyrics and overproduced keyboard, shared between two wired earbuds in 9th grade French class. But if you think that’s the cringiest thing Devyn and I have created over the years, you’ve just scratched the surface.

Anecdotes aside, Melodramatic is what we hope our 13 year old selves with the wired earbuds would see and be impressed with. So, to answer your questions…

Who Are We?

Most likely, we are quite similar to you, considering the fact that you’re reading this. Though Melodramatic aims to inspire others to authenticate themselves, we also hope to teach you to be comfortable in your own unique experience of girlhood. All our lives, we’ve been sold this idea of being “different”, especially through the media. Why has the hyper-feminine been criminalized, and labeled as boring or not interesting enough? Instead, we want to highlight the beauty in the seemingly mundane things that make us all the same. For example, it is not a crime to adorn yourself in baby pink and fawn over Timothee Chalamet.

Anyway- we are Sofia Wallace and Devyn Wong: college students, sisters tragically separated at birth, creative partners, co-authors, fangirls, shopping buddies, and best friends. Both of us are currently second year university students, (go class of ‘26!!!) and creativity is the heart of both of our degrees. I am studying journalism, media, and political science at UC Berkeley: hoping to one day use my love of writing to professionally cover topics I’m passionate about such as women's rights or climate change.

Devyn is studying creative production at Chapman University. She is constantly immersed in the worlds of fashion and music, and wants to join these industries through video production advertisement. With Melodramatic, we are testing the waters of these industries while giving ourselves creative freedom to make content we are proud of.

Why Now?

Social media is becoming increasingly influential. We’ve watched its exponential incline for decades, to the point where it feels like one Instagram post you casually scroll past can claim full control over your next haircut. TikTok, a social media app we’re all familiar with, took off as a place of escapism and during the early COVID days.

This app is especially dangerous: it’s three dimensional, its attention grabbing, its infinite entertainment, and infinite influence. I remember scrolling for hours through 10 second fashion videos- impossibly pretty people showing off clothes that I didn’t need and couldn’t afford. With so much content thrown at me, I remember feeling completely lost in my sense of style.

You see, trends aren’t a bad thing. They’re a completely healthy process for the fashion industry. But trends are supposed to cycle about 20 years slower than they currently are. For example, 90s fashion was reminiscent of 70s minimalism, and the 2000s took on the maximalism of the 80s. At today's pace, we are seeing fashion trends from just five years ago come back into style. Everything is moving too fast. We need to slow down, and stop swimming in a toxic marketplace of microtrends.

Devyn and I are at a point in our education where the pressure is on to put yourself and your work out into the real world. And it’s not that we don’t want to create something, but it takes a lot of hard work and courage to show your creative side to the world, especially when you’ve grown up keeping it to yourself. This Summer, we feel like we are finally discovering our senses of self and letting go of the stress of how we want to be perceived. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but we are ready to put our voices out there.

Why Listen?

Because we want you to take whatever you need from Melodramatic. Want some fashion inspiration? Music recommendations? We’ve got you. Want to look at some film photography? We have it. Want to feel like you’re talking to an older sister or a supportive best friend? We’re here. Want to have your current obsessions validated and delve into them? Keep on reading. Here, you don’t have to be embarrassed about liking anything or feeling a certain way. Melodramatic is about women being women, about us being ourselves, and you being you.

Thank you for reading this dramatic introduction, and I hope you’ll return. We have a lot to show and say, and we’re really excited to begin.